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Southern Columbia board reviews enrollment study and flags middle‑school staffing needs
Summary
The board reviewed an enrollment study showing 1,188 students (including 220 out‑of‑district placements) and discussed staffing gaps: two open paraprofessional posts at the middle school, an interventionist serving 35 students, and planned use of SchoolBeat data to guide supports.
The Southern Columbia Area School District board on Tuesday reviewed an enrollment study and discussed staffing and special‑education supports for the coming year.
The superintendent presented a slide deck showing the district’s current enrollment at 1,188 students, a figure that includes 220 out‑of‑district placements (cyber, vocational and private placements), and noted that the in‑district headcount is about 968 once those are excluded. "Our actual number is 1,188 currently right now," the superintendent said while walking through the report.
Why it matters: the numbers form the basis for staffing, program planning and potential reassignments. Administrators said the study breaks out teacher counts and student‑teacher ratios by building, and isolates special‑education caseloads so the board can plan staffing where demand is growing.
Board and staff discussion focused on staffing shortfalls and intervention supports. Administrators reported two open paraprofessional positions—both at the middle school—and described an interventionist role that currently serves roughly 35 students in small groups, conducts daily check‑ins, and supports MTSS (multi‑tiered system of supports) work. "She is meeting the needs of those students that need the most," an administrator said of the interventionist’s contribution.
The superintendent and other administrators also described SchoolBeat, a daily check‑in system the district uses with the intermediate unit to identify students who need supports; district staff said the system is producing usable data to form targeted small groups and interventions.
On discipline and alternatives to in‑school suspension, administrators reported a drop in serious incidents at the high school (about 9% fewer than last year) and said the district typically uses monitored study hall or conference‑room spaces for isolated incidents rather than a formal ISS program.
Next steps: staff will continue to recruit for the two paraprofessional openings, monitor enrollment projections, and return to the board with finalized PACE and student services data in April. The superintendent said some cohort‑size decisions (particularly for autistic support) may be considered next year depending on enrollment shifts.
The board took no formal action on staffing during this meeting; the enrollment study was presented for review and will inform upcoming budget and staffing decisions.
